Building a strong Prairie economy: The Prairie Partnership Initiative (PPI)

About the Prairie Partnership Initiative

In 2022, Parliament passed the Building a Green Prairie Economy Act, setting out a vision for a Prairie economy that is prosperous and sustainable. Since then, federal investments have become more targeted to advancing key regional goals, and collaboration between departments on regional investments has deepened.

In a changing world, the Prairie Partnership Initiative (PPI) is leveraging the Building a Green Prairie Economy Act to go even further.

PPI will provide a single, collaborative mechanism for governments, Indigenous partners, industry, and communities to advance transformative projects that strengthen the Prairie economy.

How the Prairie Partnership Initiative works

PPI brings together ten federal departments develop and invest in key regional projects that support job creation, export diversification and economic growth that will drive the Prairie economy. PPI supercharges the first Prairie-focused project table that streamlines engagement with project proponents to help guide proposals, identify opportunities, and align federal programs.

Since 2023, those ten departments have invested more than over $7 billion to drive investment, jobs and growth across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

PPI also complements the work of the Major Projects Office by providing similar single-window support to smaller scale and more localized projects. It will also focus on identifying and incubating ambitious projects that have the potential to scale up in the future.

What the Prairie Partnership Initiative delivers

By improving coordination and reducing administrative complexity, the Prairie Partnership Initiative helps unlock investment, support innovation, and create long-term economic growth across the Prairie region.

Through collaboration with Prairie Provinces, Indigenous communities, industry, and local governments, PPI will drive high-impact regional projects to create good-paying jobs, grow exports and attract investment.

PPI builds on the Building a Green Prairie Economy Act and will advance shared priorities through deeper partnerships and coordinated action.

PPI accelerates collaboration and investment across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

PPI supports work in:

• Growing key Prairie sectors like energy and defence
• Improving movement of goods, people, and information
• Expanding and capitalizing on clean electricity
• Community economic development
• Economic reconciliation and inclusive growth

About the Prairie Project Table

The Prairie Project Table is a collaborative forum bringing together federal departments to coordinate pathfinding and investment decisions for high-impact regional projects. Established in 2023, the table was created in response to challenges Prairie stakeholders face when navigating federal programs. Partner departments review existing program applications and project inquiries from Prairie proponents to refer suitable projects to the Prairie Project Table Secretariat. The Secretariat then selects projects to present to the table based on the following criteria:

• Transformative value in service of the Prairies economy
• Aligns with one or more of the Prairie Partnership Initiative Priorities
• Identified priority for Provincial and/or Municipal and/or Indigenous governments
• Clear economic development outcomes (job creation, revenue and productivity growth, export growth)
• Motive for departmental collaboration is apparent
  • Medium-sized project or early-stage project
  • The project does not fit into traditional programs

Please connect through the federal department program you have applied to and inquire about a referral to the Prairie Project Table. If you do not have a project application in the federal system and have general questions, please email prairiescan.ppi-ipp@prairiescan.gc.ca for further assistance.

Federal departments and agencies supporting the Prairie Project Table include:

• Prairies Economic Development Canada
• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
• Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Finance Canada
• Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
• Natural Resources Canada
• Transport Canada
• Employment and Social Development Canada
• Indigenous Services Canada
• Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
• Department of National Defence
• Global Affairs Canada
• Canada Infrastructure Bank
• National Research Council

From the Building a Green Prairie Economy Act to the Prairie Partnership Initiative

The Prairie Partnership Initiative builds on extensive engagement with Prairie Canadians. The feedback received through those consultations – the largest in PrairiesCan’s history – resulted in the tabling of the Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy in December 2023. This framework laid the foundation for more coordinated federal action in the Prairie region.

The principles and action areas outlined in the Act and Framework continue to guide and shape the projects and priorities of the Prairie Partnership Initiative.

Progress Report on the Building a Green Prairie Economy Act

In December 2025, PrairiesCan issued its first Progress Report on implementation of the Building a Green Prairie Economy Act. This marked an important milestone in implementing the Act.

The report highlights key achievements to date and demonstrates the federal government’s ongoing commitment to building a resilient, sustainable, and thriving Prairie economy. The insights and priorities outlined in the report now feed directly into the Prairie Partnership Initiative, guiding coordinated federal investments and support for projects across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.